Grapefruit Paloma

Why We Love This Recipe

• Quick and easy: All you need for this grapefruit paloma are five ingredients, a cocktail shaker, and 5 minutes. It's that easy!
• Well-balanced flavors: This grapefruit paloma has a strong citrus flavor thanks to grapefruit and lime juice, but that acidity is balanced out by the kick of tequila and the sweetness of agave. A salt rim also balances everything out.
• Great for margarita lovers: We're big fans of all kinds of margaritas, and this grapefruit paloma is basically a sparkling grapefruit margarita, with the familiar flavors of tequila, agave, and lime juice.

Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make this grapefruit paloma:

Ingredient Notes

• Tequila: We used a silver tequila (brands like Pàtron or Casamigos work) in this cocktail, but other varieties (like añejo) or even mezcal would also be delicious. Just be sure to use a good-quality tequila, since it's the star of the show here.
• Agave: If you don't have agave on hand, feel free to substitute with simple syrup or honey. Since we're using juice and not soda, this cocktail needs an additional sweetener, otherwise it will be too bitter.
• Grapefruit juice: We used freshly squeezed grapefruit, but popular brands like Ocean Spray, Simple Truth, and Simply Organic Juice Company all make grapefruit juice. You can use either ruby red or white grapefruit juice, depending on your personal preference. White grapefruit juice will be more tart and bitter than ruby red grapefruit juice. We personally prefer using ruby red in this paloma. If you're using sweetened grapefruit juice, you may want to leave out or reduce the agave.
• Lime juice: We always opt for freshly squeezed lime juice when we're making cocktails, as it provides a tart and refreshing flavor that really shines.
• Sparkling water: Any kind of fizzy water would work, including club soda, seltzer, or tonic water.
• Salt for the rim: We used kosher salt for the rim, but you could also try using sugar instead if you're not a fan of salted rims. A little bit of grapefruit zest adds extra flavor and makes the drink extra pretty, but it's totally optional.

How to Make a Grapefruit Paloma

(1) OPTIONAL: Pour agave, simple syrup, or honey onto a shallow dish and place your glass rim-down in it. On another shallow plate, combine sugar and grapefruit zest, and dip the rim into the mixture to coat.

(2) Combine tequila, grapefruit juice, simple syrup, and lime juice in a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice and shake well. Pour the mixture over your rimmed glass filled to the brim with ice.

(3) Top with sparkling water and garnish with a slice of grapefruit and enjoy!

Make it a Mocktail

To turn this cocktail into a grapefruit paloma mocktail, replace the tequila with an equal quantity of grapefruit juice or grapefruit soda.

Tips and FAQs

• Don't shake or stir the sparkling water: To preserve the carbonation in the sparkling water, don't add it to the cocktail shaker with the rest of the ingredients. It should be poured on top of the finished cocktail.
• Garnish: We love to top off these grapefruit palomas with a wedge of fresh grapefruit, a sprig of herbs, or some fresh flowers. 
• If you don't like salted rims on your cocktails, try using sugar instead, which will impart a little extra sweetness to your paloma.
• Infuse your tequila: For extra flavor (and a fun DIY project), follow our guide for infusing alcohol. Jalapeño infused tequila would be delicious in this grapefruit paloma!

More Cocktail Recipes to Enjoy

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